I Can't Make You Love Me (If You Don't)
by MrzKitty
Summary: Just some fun after I heard the titular song on the radio. Takes place in season 3, and is told from Laurel, Ray, Felicity and Oliver's viewpoints. 4 shot Olicity story! Rating has changed, but T for language.
1. Laurel

A/N: It's been a while, but once again I heard a song on the radio and thought of Olicity. This is a 4 shot; will be told from the viewpoints of Laurel, Ray, Felicity and Oliver. Typically I get to write at about 2 in the morning, so forgive my mistakes since I don't have a beta either.

Anyhow, my standard disclaimers apply...they aren't mine, I'm borrowing them; the song belongs to its rightful owners (that isn't me) read at the least, review at the most!

* * *

_Turn down the lights  
Turn down the bed  
Turn down these voices inside my head  
Lay down with me  
Tell me no lies  
Just hold me close, don't patronize  
Don't patronize me_

She doesn't know what happened. Looking at it all now, it was crystal clear of course. She didn't see it at first, because all she saw was that Ollie was hers, there were no secrets between them, and things were good.

She knew he was the Arrow, and they even worked together as much as her newly revived career would allow. She didn't spend much time in the hideout, meeting really only with Oliver. She had him to thank for the career revival; the truth about Sebastian Blood had come out, and vindication about her suspicions had been swift, her drug use seen as her being set up and rehab was simply the PC thing to do.

It was good; they meshed well. Now that she knew his secret and they worked close so often, it had been easy to fall back on what they knew...their love. Ollie was attentive as much as he could be; she knew he was working to get QC back, plus his nighttime personae still took up a lot of time. She wasn't worried, surprisingly, about him being hers. She'd overheard the blonde (Felicity?) muttering "gorgeous Laurel," "of course" and "true love" in various combinations on the few occasions she'd been down to the hideout.

She believed that for a while. Looking at him now, she's not sure when she began to realize Ollie wasn't, in fact, hers. He belonged heart and soul to another.

It may have been the mission where she gave Oliver the course of action she thought was best, only to learn later he'd ignored it in favor of one Felicity gave. It was one of the few fights they'd had, her and Oliver. She was hurt, of course, she knows Oliver better than anyone, so why would he take some IT girl's word over hers?

Except Felicity wasn't just some IT girl. Though perhaps she should have realized that after Slade, she didn't. But after that mission, Laurel made a point to spend more time with the team...and almost immediately wished she hadn't.

It wasn't just that Felicity was the brains of the team, it was _Oliver._ There was a relaxing of his entire being when he was around his team. A relaxation she hadn't seen from him since he got off that island. He was comfortable taking his shirt off in front of his team, where it was clear to her he wasn't that comfortable taking his clothes off in front of her. He never answered any questions about his scars either, no matter how often and gently she asked.

It may have been the way they would touch each other. Platonic touches if you weren't seeing, and it happened less and less frequently the longer that she was around. Still, it was like they were magnets to each other, and those small, nothing touches seemed downright compelled.

It may have been the way that Laurel could only describe his irritation at Felicity dating as jealousy. At first, she thought it was irritation that the man Felicity was dating had been the one to try and take QC. But when he bristled at the mention of Barry Allen in conjunction with Felicity, she didn't have a logical explanation other than jealousy.

It may have been the silent communication they'd perfected, and the easy way Felicity stood up to a man that not only should have intimidated her but was technically her boss.

_Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_  
_You can't make your heart feel something it won't_  
_Here in the dark, in these final hours_  
_I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power_  
_But you won't, no you won't_  
_Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't_

She doesn't know when she started noticing all these things. Laurel does know, however, the exact moment she knew for sure Oliver Queen belonged to Felicity Smoak.

It was a night like most of their others. She arrived to find him and Felicity deep in conversation, presumably about the bad guy of the week. Neither noticed her arrival. Felicity said something, and Oliver Queen smiled _and laughed._ A genuine smile, followed quickly by a full bellied laugh. It was a sound Laurel had never heard before. It was happy, joyous even. _And she wasn't the one to cause it._ Her, Ollie's supposed love. Seeing the two of them at that moment, they looked every inch the couple in love. And she had to say, he never looked at her the way he was looking at Felicity right now.

That night wasn't long ago. Seeing the two of them like that put her in a quandary. She loved Ollie, and she believes he thinks he loves her too. But she was not Felicity, and after being forced to see how the two of them were together, she thinks Ollie is more in love with the idea of what they used to could have been.

_I'll close my eyes, then I won't see_  
_The love you don't feel when you're holding me_  
_Morningwill come and I'll do what's right_  
_Just give me till then to give up this fight_  
_And I will give up this fight_

So as he loved her now, she decided it'd be the last time. She may love Ollie, but he deserves to be with the one he really loves. More importantly, she deserved to be loved by someone that loved her just as much as she did them. She just hoped Tommy hadn't been her only chance.

When morning came, he wasn't there, not that he ever really stayed all night. Wrapped in her sheets, she walked over to her window to survey the city Ollie was trying so hard to save. Looking over it, and knowing that things with Ollie were over, she had to concede to herself she wasn't as hurt as she probably should be. So what did that say about her feelings about Ollie?

And when she ended it, there was no fight from him. Surprise, to be sure, that she ended it. He wished her happiness, and success; she wished him the same and agreed to keep working with his alter ego. Laurel could tell that he was sincere, which caused her to feel a stab of sadness, because he was obviously so much greater than the boy he'd been when he snuck off with her sister. It didn't last long; it was obvious other hands had long been guiding him, and she was still picking up her own pieces if truth be told.

And so it was with guilty relief on both parts that the end of Laurel and Oliver arrived.

_Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_  
_You can't make your heart feel something it won't_  
_Here in the dark, in these final hours_  
_I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power_  
_But you won't, no you won't_  
_Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't_


	2. Ray

A/N: Thank you for all the favs, follows and reviews! I appreciate them.

Here's Ray's story.

Standard disclaimer...not mine, song's not mine, enjoy at least and review at the most. :-)

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_Turn down the lights, turn down the bed  
Turn down these voices inside my head  
Lay down with me, tell me no lies  
Just hold me close, don't patronize, don't patronize me_

Ray always knew she wasn't his. Not completely.

She had captivated him at one of the meetings about Oliver getting QC back. She was beautiful, but clearly she was also bright, genuine and loyal.

He hoped to earn some of that loyalty. It made no sense, he knew, but instinct screamed she was special, and instinct had so far served him very well. If he got some dirt on Queen, well, all the better. And so began an earnest courtship, ending with slight surprise when she finally said yes.

It was fine for a bit. Being closer to Felicity, though, brought some strange observations.

Such as how tired she always was. It was like she didn't sleep at all. She was still amazing in her wit and efficiency, but his trained eye saw the copious amounts of coffee, the power naps between meetings, the expertly applied makeup.

_Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_  
_You can't make your heart feel something it won't_  
_Here in the dark, in these final hours_  
_I will lay down my heart and I feel the power_  
_But you won't, no, you won't_  
_Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't_

He noticed how often Queen would contact her, her responding almost every time. He also noticed no one got to Felicity except Queen. Regardless of the lively intellectual conversations Ray and Felicity had, that was the only time he saw true passion from her. He had seen the full gamut of emotions when she was dealing with Queen. All just as real, and all very intense. Though he had to say, recently the way he knew it was Queen was the way Felicity scowled at her phone.

Ray sensed the way she held back, that she had her secrets. She never voluntarily talked about herself, Ray actually admired the way she gave just enough to satisfy passing curiosity but not enough to learn anything of substance. He never pushed that, he had his own secrets that he'd prefer to keep that way.

Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of him. And pride, though he was reluctant to admit that. Queen was good looking, but Ray had not read nor seen a reason for him to command the loyalty he did of someone as remarkable as Felicity. He had to know what was keeping her from being fully his, and instinctively he knew it was at least in part Queen.

It wasn't until he followed her that it became clear. Felicity went into a building that made zero sense for her to be in; not long after that he spotted the Arrow leaving the same building. He knew he wasn't seen, his special abilities prevented that.

Shrinking down, Ray hopped onto the Arrow himself, hoping to solve some of the mystery. And he almost lost control of his ability when he heard the Arrow speak:

"Felicity, where am I going?"

_Jesus Christ, Oliver Queen was the Arrow, and Felicity was his assistant._ Well shit, a lot of things made more sense now. The loyalty, the tiredness, the responsiveness of her to him even when it was clear she wasn't in the mood...the reason a rising star in IT would suddenly move to being an EA.

He stayed with Queen during his mission, laughing to himself at both the ridiculousness and necessity of his voice modulator once he turned it on. He chuckled when they argued over him. He didn't have to see the two of them physically interact to know they loved each other. It was obvious in the way they spoke to each other, especially when they bickered.

Queen eventually made it back to his hideout, and Ray quietly withdrew to his own place of rest deep in thought. He knew now that QC had to have been helping fund the Arrow, and that couldn't be done without Oliver as CEO. He also knew Oliver was clearly more than who he let the public know, not at all unlike himself. It was also abundantly clear Felicity was no small part of both Queen and his alter ego's success.

Perhaps he could consider QC a lost cause. He knows he can consider Felicity a lost cause. Her heart and being belonged solidly with Oliver Queen. As for QC, well, he hoped a solution would present itself.

_I'll close my eyes, then I won't see_  
_The love you don't feel when you're holding me_  
_Morning will come and I'll do what's right_  
_Just give me till then to give up this fight and I will give up this fight_

He decided his persistence had paid off in the past, and he made one last effort to win Felicity's heart. The date was going well, the night even better...until he woke to an empty bed. Softly padding to another room, he Felicity clearly working. Since he hadn't given her any projects, she had to be working on something for Oliver. At 6 in the morning. On a Saturday. And she never even noticed he was there. He went back to bed, and felt her come back a short while later. She was careful not to disturb him, so as to seem as though she had never left he guessed. Ray knew then for sure that he would always get Oliver Queen's leftovers. Incredible though she was, Felicity would never be completely his, and if he truly planned on being _more,_ like Oliver, he would need to find someone who would be.

And so Ray forced himself to let Felicity go. She took it with grace, and a faint look in her eye told him she even somewhat expected it. He couldn't resist trying to ease the sting by telling her a truth she likely didn't expect- the Arrow had inspired him to use his gifts for more than he had been to this point. He didn't, however, tell her he knew Queen was said Arrow, but he did see a flash of pride that she quickly masked. She would probably figure it out when he all but shoves QC back in Queen's hands, but he let her keep their secret.

He showed her what he was capable of, and as he suspected she would, she offered her assistance if he ever needed. They parted, to remain friends.

And so it was with regret of varying degrees that signaled the end of Ray and Felicity.

_Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_  
_You can't make your heart feel something it won't_  
_Here in the dark, in these final hours_  
_I will lay down my heart, and I feel the power_  
_But you won't, no you won't_  
_Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't_

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A/N 2: I should be able to update this for the next two days. All thats left is editing and posting, so thanks for sticking with me!


	3. Felicity

A/N: Special thank you to sakura-blossom62, who keeps reviewing. I also still appreciate the favs and follows, its been a long time since I posted a story and I'd forgotten how nice they are as well.

Here is Felicity. Tomorrow I'll post Oliver, who will be the final chapter in all this. If you see any mistakes, let me know. I don't have a beta, so everything you see is all me.

My standard disclaimer applies!

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Felicity was tired, more so than she'd ever let on.

It took a lot of energy to pretend to the world that everything was ok. Energy that she quite frankly, didn't think she had but apparently managed to find, even between her jobs as head bitch with wifi for the Arrow and EA to the no longer CEO of Queen Consolidated.

Things had looked up for a while. Crime was down, Slade defeated. There had even been a beacon of hope for her love life after Slade. Oliver had asked her on a date, and she had managed to not appear excessively eager to say yes. Maybe they weren't so unthinkable after all.

Then that damn bomb had gone off and Oliver retreated from her again. She had long ago admitted to herself she loved him; that didn't mean she didn't recognize he was being a coward when it came to them. He also became broody, closed off Oliver again. That Oliver irritated her. Why couldn't he get it through his obviously thick skull _her life, her choice?_ That not everything bad in this world was his fault? But no, the man was determined to carry the world on his shoulders. Dammit.

That wasn't to say she didn't love her life, she thrived on most of it. I mean, knowing you were partly responsible for the city you love getting better was beyond thrilling. Knowing you were a part of something bigger than yourself, showing (even if only to yourself) that you gave a damn about anyone but yourself was amazing. But the emotional rollercoaster that was Oliver Queen was making her _tired._

So when Ray Palmer began pursuing her, she started with skepticism (seriously, two billionares pursuing her in a short period of time? Something had to be up. She knew she wasn't ugly, but again, hot billionares deciding they wanted to date her had not been her experience. Ever.), and so she turned him down. Because if the request was part of an ulterior motive, she would _not_ be responsible for her actions. Then she saw Oliver drift closer and closer to Laurel and she'd had enough. She may love Oliver Queen, but she was done putting every aspect of her life on hold for him when it was never going to happen. So she finally said yes to a date with the surprisingly persistent Ray. And then another, and another, until they were a couple.

The problem was, Felicity wasn't _happy._ She was _bored_. Ray was very intelligent, charming, genuine and handsome. And before Oliver Queen, he would have been _perfect_. But she clearly had a soft spot for complicated, broody vigilantes. And it thoroughly pissed her off.

Oliver didn't help matters either. Just like with Barry, he got weird when she started dating Ray. All of a sudden contacting her for the hint of a ding from her computers, strategizing to get QC back at odd hours, touching her even more often than he used to, not to mention being one step away from downright rude to Ray. Which meant they bickered and argued more than they ever had; Digg more and more often playing referee.

But, having long ago learned to roll with what life threw at her, Felicity put her head down and charged through, and as she knew they would, things got better. They laughed and teased again, but now he ignored her rambling (and unintentional innuendos) and she ignored the hurt that came when she saw Oliver playing dutiful boyfriend, responding to that hateful nickname "Ollie." (Seriously, did no one from his past realize _it didn't fit him anymore?_). Oliver doing that required effort; effort he didn't put into them. Coward.

She devoted as much as she could to Ray. Ray was good to her and they had wonderful intellectual conversations, conversations that were refreshing in their normality. She'd forgotten how much she missed that.

Laurel started coming around with increasing frequency, which was awkward and painful at first. They'd butted heads on a course of action for Oliver and she'd won out over Laurel. Felicity wasn't surprised; the last couple of years had developed a team, one Oliver relied on heavily. Girlfriend or not, Laurel had not learned the rules of that team. Besides, Slade had taught her that Oliver truly viewed her as a partner, and that was crucial to their success.

In the spirit of said success, and her sincere belief in what they were doing, Felicity let her and Oliver drift back to how they were before Slade. She refused to examine that anything else required too much energy and far too much emotion.

Yes, things were in a good place for Felicity. Then Ray broke up with her, proceeded to tell her his secret, and though she held it together (hell, she even offered her help), she wanted to cry. _Why_ did she have to have a thing for heroes? Oliver, Barry, Ray. Ray wasn't a hero yet, but he'd told her Oliver (well, the Arrow) had inspired him to "_be more."_ She'd felt a surge of pride, that was partly her after all.

Mint chocolate chip. That's what she needed. Pints of it, because she felt like she was coming apart at the seams. Decided she was worth it, so she took her night to process with several pints of mint chocolate chip. Hated herself for the gluttony in the morning, then resumed putting her head down and charging through.

She saw another light at the end of the tunnel when Ray practically shoved QC back in Oliver's hands, which made her wonder briefly if he knew Oliver's secret.

She felt scared for that light when Laurel broke up with Oliver not long after. She really did _not_ need weeks of him thinking he's cornered the market on brooding man pain.

But that never came. Which is why she was surprised to see Oliver appear to be doing that now. It was past 7, and he'd spent the last 27 minutes staring out over the city. No, she wasn't keeping track.

Felicity allowed herself a moment to appreciate that Oliver appeared to look good no matter what he wore before she interrupted him for his own good. One moment, because she was still trying to get over the love she had for him but would not go anyway. She was finding out you can't fall out of love with someone just because you want to. And wasn't that just about a bitch? Shoving all that aside (and she was good at that), Felicity said,

"I can hear you brooding from way over there. Oliver, it's after 7. You should eat before you go all 'grr' on people. Come on, Digg is picking up Big Belly."

He turned to look at Felicity, who cocked her head to the side a bit once she registered the look on his face. It was a look she'd seen before, one she'd decided was his determined face. There was a smile accompanying it, which prompted her to say,

"Oliver? You're in a strangely good mood. Though I guess it's not strange. Crime is still down, and you got QC back. Everything is working out. Well, except with Laurel. And Thea." She mentally cringed. Sometimes she loathed her lack of filter. Way to kill his good mood, Felicity.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry Oliver, I'm going to stop in 3, 2, 1..." Oliver just kept smiling and said,

"Perfect."

"What's perfect?" Felicity knew she looked as confused as she felt; even for Oliver that was weird. Then she saw the brilliant smile take over his face and braced herself.

Instinct was screaming at her that something had changed and she needed to be careful.

Oh boy.


	4. Oliver

**A/N: So here is the end of our journey with Oliver. Don't know when I'll be inspired again, but thank you all for favoriting, following and reviewing. Especially sakura-blossom62! **

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Oliver wasn't quite sure how his life wound up being a mess again.

After Slade, he had been sure life would be better, that he could finally act on the unexpected honesty that had came out during that awful night.

Instead, his fears about being with Felicity came true when that bomb went off during their date; Thea was still missing despite Felicity's impressive best efforts; QC was still not his; he was close to being forced to work for ARGUS and he still had no official place to stay. He was staying at the clock tower but it wasn't a home. About the only things going right were crime was down and Digg was finally getting his own slice of happiness with Lyla and their unborn child.

Laurel knew his secret though, and that had lifted a small weight he didn't know he'd had off his chest. They formed a partnership of sorts, the close proximity eventually giving way to another shot at their relationship. It made sense, he supposed. He could live with being without Laurel. While he didn't want anything bad to happen to her, instinct told him Laurel had more guardians than Felicity did. He also knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to Felicity. Not because of him, not again, because God, hadn't he done enough of that himself?

The answer of course, in Oliver's mind, was yes. Yes, she'd already been hurt enough; their partnership was awkward enough already. So he did what he thought was best, and walked away from the one person who didn't appear to have any demons, walked away from the one he knew was responsible for everything good in his life. Walked away before he could ruin that. They were still partners, but now their relationship had the weight of so many more what ifs, and his brain had the memory of Felicity's kiss seared into it.

So he was careful to not bring Laurel around Felicity more than he had to. Careful to not touch Felicity, careful to try and devote what was left of his heart to his first love.

He was faking fine with status quo... then Ray Palmer came along. First he was just the latest to try and take QC. That he could deal with. Then he became Felicity's boyfriend. This time Oliver didn't bother denying to himself jealousy and anger is what he felt. He was usually able to stop himself from overstepping, but it was very hard. He knew, he truly did, that Felicity deserved happiness, and it couldn't be with him. He did know that. But that very large, primitive part of him could not help the instinct to scream "mine," which of course led to bickering and arguing because he just could not stop himself from reaching out to her. Frequently. Even in non emergencies, because yes, he'd paid enough attention over the last couple years to know what her computer's various dings were.

Laurel seemed ok with things as well, she seemed confident in her and his relationship. It was a pleasant surprise. That is...until the mission where Laurel thought she knew best. She was trying, he knew, but she was not his team. Felicity's voice won out (and Oliver knew in his bones she always would), which caused a huge fight between him and Laurel.

They moved past it, but he wasn't oblivious to the new way Laurel started trying to come around more. It made him nervous, but by this point he and Felicity were back to where they were before their date, touches and all. The bickering, of course, was new. Appatently, it added a whole new level to the tension, according to a conversation he'd overheard between Roy and Digg.

But, since he was trying to be a better boyfriend, and things appeared to be going well in that area, he got a bit complacent. As a result, he was somewhat taken aback when Laurel ended "them." Though to be fair, he supposed it both was and wasn't a surprise. He knew he was broken, damaged, and not good enough for Laurel (or Felicity for that matter). He had, however, been doing his best to be a better man, a better significant other, and shouldn't that count for something?

The breakup had been weeks ago. He looked out his office window now, musing (brooding, really) at the surprising recent turn of events. QC had rather suddenly been thrust back in his hands, Ray was no longer dating Felicity and he was no longer dating Laurel. He chuckled to himself, thinking also how the two people not in his circle also had sudden reversals of fortune- Barry was a hero in his own right and Detective Lance was now Captain Lance.

Which brought him back to the woman on the other side of that glass.

_"Be happy, Ollie. This...you aren't as happy as you deserve. I see it now. You'll be successful, but you deserve to be happy too. I don't know why you haven't been with her yet, but. Don't be like my dad, ok?" _

_You deserve to be happy._

Oliver smiled, a rueful smile if anyone were there to describe it. Laurel's words had been ringing in his ears for weeks now. Unbeknownst to her, they were damnably close to the ones her sister had said as she too, was breaking up with him.

It was astonishing, really, how many people were shoving him towards Felicity. Except Felicity herself. She was always just *_there._* Always pushing him to be who she believes he could be, yet somehow knowing when not to pry. She truly was the best part of him, remarkable even in her flaws, and she wasn't even really his.

_"You deserve better."_ He snorted at her words after the colossal mistake (on so many levels) that had been Isabel. Maybe it was time he started believing it. He was still staring over his city when he heard her come in.

"I can hear you brooding from way over there. Oliver, its after 7. You should eat before you go all 'grr' on people. Come on, Digg is picking up Big Belly." Oliver could feel the smile he knew was reserved for her creeping onto his face and made his decision. He turned to look at Felicity, who cocked her head to the side a bit once she registered the look on his face.

"Oliver? You're in a strangely good mood. Though I guess its not strange. Crime is still down, and you got QC back. Everything is working out. Well, except with Laurel. And Thea." He could see the moment her brain caught up. And yeap, here comes the...

"Oh God, I'm so sorry Oliver, I'm going to stop in 3, 2, 1..." Oliver realized that the mention of his still erstwhile sister didn't kill his mood. He knew Felicity would find her. So he just kept smiling and said,

"Perfect."

"What's perfect?"

He wanted to kiss that adorable confused look off her face. He felt his grin get wider as he realized there's no reason he couldn't.

"You. You're remarkable, Felicity Smoak."

"Thank you for remarking on it. Now come on. Even big bad brooding vigilantes need to eat." Felicity motioned for him to "come on," and Oliver gently snagged her elbow.

"Felicity?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." At this, Felicity looked especially confused. He hadn't done anything...

She tasted every bit as good as he remembered. Better even, now that he knew what it was like to be without her. He sincerely hoped he was right and that his love- _he_ -would be enough for the remarkable woman he currently has molded against him.

She pulled away, and Oliver reluctantly let her, knowing she needed and deserved to have her say. And she would have her say, Oliver was slow but not completely stupid.

"I can't do this, Oliver," Felicity said, causing panic to claw at Oliver's throat. "I can't do the sometimes/maybe, where we do this," she made a motion indicating them, "and then you run away and act like everything is ok. I can't keep letting you make life decisions for me without my input. I can't keep letting you break my heart and..." Felicity closed her eyes when she realized what she'd said, but pressed on anyway. Which cost her, he could tell. "Am I your friend, or am I your _partner_?" Felicity challenged, albeit a bit wearily.

He had felt himself relax when she had said bit about heartbreak; he hadn't broken her beyond repair. Now was his chance to show her what he already knew- he needed her. She was, quite simply, his everything.

So he stepped closer to her, enjoying the way her eyes widened. She'd expected him to run, which was fair.

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"I need you," he said simply. "I need you, my partner. I can't promise to never break your heart, because I'm really good at breaking things. But you make me want to try not to. You make me better. Can that be enough for now?" For a long moment, she just looked at him, assessing him.

"We do this, you don't get to run. I'm _going_ to get hurt. We're _going_ to disagree. But it is my life, my choice, and I've already chosen you. We do this...there's no going back. Be sure, Oliver. I need you to be sure," Felicity all but pleaded.

Oliver smiled, kissed her again, having heard the _I love you_ even if she hadn't said the words.

"I love you too, Felicity. I'll do my best to deserve you." He felt rather than saw her frown.

"You're a hero, Oliver. Rule number one, you don't get to put yourself down. You're _my _hero, and don't forget it mister."

"I won't," he said, more to placate her than believing it.

That changed, through the years.

"My hero," she said when his chivalry came out on their second date.

"_My_ hero," she cried before smiling possessively when he proposed.

"My hero," she sighed when he rubbed her aching feet and back during all three of her pregnancies.

"My hero. I'll be waiting for you," she breathed as she said a final goodbye to Oliver all those many years later.

His response became the same every time before he would kiss her-

"I know."


End file.
